by Alfonz Juck
The PSD Meeting Dusseldorf is one of my favorite indoor events. I attended in 2019, but had to cancel in 2020 due to sponsor withdrawal at the last minute. Such is life. The Messehalle in Dusseldorf allows the placement of a 200m banked track and 4500-5000 seats. The PSD Meeting has been sold out for weeks, and the local support puts it over the top.
Kendricks vs Duplantis, loaded men´s 800 m
DUSSELDORF (GER): The two medallists in the pole vault from the World Championships Sam Kendricks and Armand Duplantis will be in action at the sold out PSD Bank Meeting in Dusseldorf on Tuesday evening. At the 3rd stop of WA Indoor Tour 2020, World fourth placer Bo Kanda Lita Baehre from Germany is also in action. There will be strong European interest in the men’s 800m with reigning world indoor champion Adam Kszczot from Poland making his season’s debut against teammate Marcin Lewandowski (but in different races), world silver medallist Amel Tuka from Bosnia & Herzegovina and European indoor champion Alvaro de Arriba from Spain while Marc Reuther also competes fresh from his 1:45.39 performance in Erfurt on Sunday. Former world bronze medallist Filip Ingebrigtsen from Norway makes his season’s debut in the 1500m while Ethiopia’ Selemon Barega faces in-form Kenyans Bethwel Birgen and Davis Kiplangat in the 3000m. In the women’s 1500m, Karlsruhe winner Axumawit Embaye faces a similar field including Uganda’s Winnie Nanyondo and Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech. Another highlight is the women’s 60m hurdles in which Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan will be looking for back-to-back wins after clocking 7.84 in Karlsruhe with opposition coming from Christina Clemons from the United States and home favourites Cindy Roleder and Pamela Dutkiewicz. Elsewhere on the track, European indoor champion Lea Sprunger from Switzerland goes against European outdoor champion Justyna Swiety-Ersetic from Poland in the 400m on time as they run in different races. Gambia’s Gina Bass will be looking to follow up her 7.20 win on her indoor debut in Mondeville on Saturday. European champions Paraskevi Papahristou from Greece and Portugal’s Patricia Mamona are among the leading names in the women’s triple jump and Poland’s Konrad Bukowiecki competes in the shot put against Czech record holder Tomas Stanek who was a late entry into the meet. Slovak European indoor champion Jan Volko comes after Erfurt win against Paris winner Brandon Carnes from USA and strong Briton CJ Ujah. US Jarret Eaton is the favorite of men´s 60 m hurdles.
